A fork in the road

"I'm lucky to have two potential opportunities at work. One would be to take a new career path, the other, to develop my skills where I am. The former is an unknown quantity, but an exciting challenge. The latter is more likely to be personally rewarding, but will be much slower paced. I'm not a go-getter but I've been stuck where I am for a while. Should I shake myself up and jump in the deep end of a new dynamic career, or be more cautious and step up to a new challenge where I am? Help me Vauclair Rayner, you're my only hope..."

Dear troubled tweeter, it seems like a difficult choice has been forced upon you. Both options offer positivity, and both hold opportunities to move your life forwards in a significant way. It seems like you're ready to progress - you mention that you've been "stuck" for some time. Perhaps first of all, it would be wise to think about what this means to you. Are you stuck professionally and looking for an outlet for creativity, specialist skills or leadership, or are you stuck in a rut more generally and looking for change of a more wholly-encompassing nature?

This new career path - did you initiate it, or did it come to you? Of course, if you believe in mystical sorts-of things, you might say that by asking for a change, the universe pushed this choice into your life. Being that I think that sort of talk is a load of bollocks, I'd say that either way, you've opened yourself up to a new idea of how to live your life, and that in itself is your first big step towards the change that you need.

If you initiated it - this "exciting challenge" - what pushed you to do so? At this time of year, in the depths of winter, we find ourselves much more introspective. Perhaps you'd been considering a career change over the Christmas break? What were your reasons for this? My advice would be to make a list of all the reasons you'd enjoy leaving your current career in favour of this new "exciting" one, and seeing if they weigh up favourably against your gut feeling.

If it came to you, why and how? Were you headhunted? Did it come through contacts? Big changes thrust upon us can seem more like inconveniences than opportunities and it's possible you've collected negative connotations along with the thrill of being "seen." How would you feel if you'd found this role completely off your own back? Would you be more likely to jump at the chance? If so, what's the difference?

Now let's dissect the latter option: to stay where you are and develop your skills. My first question would be, how would you ignite the change you want within your current job role? I only ask because it's easy to slip back into routine as though no personal upheaval has taken place, and if your current job is lacking the professional growth you need, you will have to take the initiative in setting this up, which is hard. I'm not gonna lie.

If you love your job and want to see yourself develop within your current workplace, this is admirable and not "the easy route," but it will take strength and perseverance to gain what you desire from it. Moving up in a career you're settled in can be harder than starting afresh, but can also be incredibly rewarding. Perhaps the slower pace would suit you in this parallel life, giving you time to grow and adapt to your new responsibilities and reaffirm your new position within your established team.

What to drink?

To help you come to a decision, I recommend a darker beer with a fair level of clout, that's deep and comforting but not too distracting from the task at hand. I think I'd pick out a Thornbridge Fika cold brew coffee stout to keep you alert while you drink and decide, or Brewing By Numbers' excellent 03-03. The ABV of both will loosen you up, making all that list-writing much easier - and it'll help you untangle the knots of worry in your head you have about the small stuff. Once you've worked out the big question - essentially, should you stay or should you go? - all the other ephemera will work itself out.